GE 228: How Dennis Fong Transitioned from Professional Gamer (Sponsored by Microsoft) to Business Owner with 10M+ Users (podcast)

Hey everyone! Today I share the mic with Dennis Fong, CEO of Plays.tv, a social video platform for gamers that allows you to record games, make awesome videos, and share them with friends.

Tune in to hear Dennis share how he successfully transitioned his gaming and tech knowledge to entrepreneurship, why screwups with customers can be a good thing, how compassionate management creates the most loyal employees, and why he’s known as “The Michael Jordan of the Gaming Industry.”

Download podcast transcript [PDF] here: How Dennis Fong Transitioned from Professional Gamer to Business Owner with 10M+ Users

Time-Stamped Show Notes:

• 00:36 – Leave a review and rating and subscribe to the Growth Everywhere Podcast
• 00:54 – Eric welcomes Dennis Fong
• 01:35 – Like most kids his age, Dennis was into video games; as a professional gamer, he was sponsored by Microsoft and other companies
  • 02:20 – Was featured on the front page of Wall Street Journal when he won a Ferrari while competing professionally
  • 02:43 – Used his endorsements to start his first company, Gamers.com, in 1996
  • 03:23 – Retired from professional gaming around the time of Quake 3 and Quake 4
  • 04:17 – Lithium Technologies is the only non-gaming company that he started
  • 04:41 – Started Xfire, another gaming company after selling Lithium Technologies
  • 05:38 – Became familiar with technology due to his gaming career; this helped him transition from gaming to entrepreneurship
  • 06:48 – Is able to see things through other people’s eyes without putting in a lot of effort
• 07:43 – Dennis shares some information about his latest venture, Plays.tv
  • 07:43 – A video recording app for gamers that helps improve their gaming skills
  • 09:17 – Terms it “The Instagram for Gamers”
  • 10:04 – The coaching and analytics platform is really useful to gamers
  • 10:14 – Planning on monetizing the website by offering premium features, leveraging upon the following of prominent players and advertising
  • 10:50 – Upwards of 10 million users
• 11:14 – Dennis’s reputation and endorsement by star players helped acquire initial users
  • 13:21 – The power of social media helped popularize this gaming solution
• 14:02 – Often when you screw up really big, it is a great time to improve your relationship with your customer
  • 15:07 – Respond to and remedy a screwup to create a positive impression
• 16:06 – What is the one big struggle that you faced while growing your business? – People issues
  • 17:35 – Finds it difficult to lay off people who are unable to perform due to personal issues
  • 19:06 – Attempts to help out employees to the greatest extent possible
• 19:40 – The competitiveness and ruthlessness of professional gaming cannot be applied to all aspects of entrepreneurship
  • 19:58 – Has learned to cultivate compassion over the years; people do not grow if you do not give them the right answer
• 20:28 – Personal and professional growth is the most important factor for any employee
• 21:10 – A compassionate approach results in more loyal, happy and more successful employees
  • 21:55 – Recommends that everyone watch Jeff Weiner’s talk on Compassionate Management
• 22:40 – Dennis shares some of his habits that contribute to his success
  • 22:40 – Wakes up early in the morning to get stuff out of the way
  • 23:55 – Stays in shape and aims for a work-life balance
• 24:59 – What is one new tool that you have added in the last one year that you have really enjoyed, like Evernote? – Small Improvements which helps structure 101 meetings and helps drive compassionate management and growth
• 26:52 – What’s one must-read book do you recommend? – Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain
• 32:20 – Connect with Dennis via Twitter or email
• 32:40 – Head back to Growth Everywhere for show notes and additional resources; leave a review and rating and subscribe to the podcast

3 Key Points:

1. Use the power of social media to popularize your business and attract customers in its initial stages.
2. Respond to and remedy a screwup right away in order to improve your customer relationships.
3. A compassionate approach results in loyal, happy and more successful employees.

Resources from this interview:

• Plays.tv
• Lithium Technologies
• Xfire
• Jeff Weiner’s talk on Compassionate Management
• Small Improvements
• Must-read books:
  • Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
  • The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain by John E. Sarno, M.D.
• Dennis on Twitter
• Dennis’ e-mail

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